Objectives: Over the next two years, our primary objective for this project is to control (and eradicate when possible) invasive herbaceous exotics on 72 southern Wisconsin sites with remnant plant communities, including 47 primarily state-owned State Natural Areas, 24 Prairie Enthusiast remnants, 1 Nature Conservancy site, and several other sites which Green County Conservation League and Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park actively manage. Total acreage of these remnants is approximately 14,011 acres. Our efforts to control herbaceous invasive species will focus on those specific areas within each site where invasive species are present.  These sites harbor some of the best known remnant plant communities, and as such, provide the foundation for many Species of Greatest Conservation Need in southern Wisconsin. Restoration work targeting woody invasive species (e.g. removing brush and thinning understory trees) and prescribed burns will also be conducted on these sites, largely funded by other sources (and included as match in this proposal). Together these efforts constitute a wholistic approach toward management and restoration of prairie and savanna natural communities in southern Wisconsin.

Accomplishments:

• All cooperative agreements have been signed. 
  
• We are now in the planning phase for this, and next, year’s herbaceous invasives control efforts.   This work will involve DNR staff, our partner organizations and their staff/volunteers, and contractors. 

• The Nature Conservancy’s Spring Green Preserve had:
  
• 1 prescribed burn (3 units)
• approximately 3 acres of woody invasives have been cleared (primarily cedars)
• herbaceous weed control in these areas will begin in May

• DNR State Natural Areas has begun the following on designated SNA’s:
  
• purple loosestrife control has been conducted on atleast eight sites
• garlic mustard control on atleast five sites
• parsnip and sweet-clover control on at least twelve sites
• conducted prescribed burns on approximately six sites
• led seven field trips.

• Our partner organizations have:
  
• conducted numerous field trips
• controlled leafy spurge, sweet-clover, and parsnip on atleast twelve sites

• The Natural Resources Foundation (NRF) has:
  
• in addition to organizing last year’s field trips to (primarily) State Natural Areas, planned another series of field trips to SNA’s throughout the state, including atleast ten led by SNA crew members
• NRF is also beginning to focus outreach efforts in the southwest area of Wisconsin, home of a significant portion of the State’s prairies and savannas

Expected Results: Control of invasive herbaceous species on high quality prairie and savanna natural communities in southern Wisconsin will provide better security for species of greatest conservation need by providing the highest quality habitat for SGCN that are dependent on these communities known in the state. Prairies and savannas would be more open and less vulnerable to the impacts of shrubs and invasive exotic species in the future.  Forested communities would have their ground layers remain intact to provide high quality habitat for forest species.